The Cave Main Bloghttp://www.inthecave.com/blog
Happenings, announcements and the members of The CaveThu, 23 Jul 2015 23:07:02 +0000http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7enhourly1Kids’ Night Out July 25!http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12532
http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12532#commentsThu, 23 Jul 2015 22:52:12 +0000matthttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12532
Need a night off? Drop your kids off at The Cave the second and fourth Saturdays of every month from 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

7/25/15: Movie Night (Pizza)

$40 if you sign up online in advance
$45 at the door (pending availability)

]]>http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=12532Chocolate Avocado Strawberry Smoothiehttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12527
http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12527#commentsMon, 13 Jul 2015 22:08:48 +0000Danahttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12527Here’s a creamy chocolate treat to cool off on a hot afternoon with or just enjoy after dinner as a healthy end to the day. There’s an avocado in it, but it doesn’t taste like avocado at all; that’s really there for the texture. The taste is all from the strawberries and chocolate, with a little extra honey for sweetness if you like it that way.
Ingredients
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 ½ cup almond or coconut milk
½ tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. raw honey (optional)
Dark chocolate, grated (optional)Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a blender, and pulse until everything is smooth.
Pour mix into 2 large glasses, and sprinkle grated dark chocolate on top.
Thank you Paleo Leap!
]]>http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=125273 Great Uses for EMOMshttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12476
http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12476#commentsThu, 09 Jul 2015 13:00:04 +0000Danahttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12476EMOM is an acronym that stands for Every Minute On the Minute. For example, the EMOM for 10 minutes of 10 box jumps and 10 pull ups means you have 10 minutes of work and at the start of each minute you attempt to complete 10 box jumps and 10 pull ups. If you finish within the minute, you rest until the start of the next minute and repeat the work. The faster you get your work for the minute done, the more rest you get. There are endless variations and purposes for EMOMs and below are some of my favorite. This is not an exclusive list.

1. EMOMs provide an essential skill building format for CrossFit athletes. Most likely, you will not learn how to do handstand push ups in other CrossFit workout formats. You will have a much greater success rate if you attempt handstand push ups 1-2 times every minute for 10 minutes, as opposed to attempting as many handstand pushups as possible in 10 minutes. Learning new skills cannot be done properly in a fatigued state. It is ideal to practice skills in isolation before combining them into workouts.

2. As a coach, programming EMOMs is useful because it allows total control of the athlete’s work, rest and fatigue. If a five round workout for time is programmed and your athlete isn’t proficient in one of the movements, it may take a very long time to complete the task. Intensity may be lost and the actual stimulus may not coincide with the desired stimulus. With an EMOM, the stimulus can be controlled and linear progressions can be maintained and furthered.

3. Time. If you tend to take your sweet time between exercises or sets, EMOMs will help expedite your time in the gym and increase your work capacity. By letting the clock decide when you work and rest you will be much fitter. If you are feeling lazy in the gym, just pick a few exercises and use an EMOM format for a warm-up. It works great!

]]>http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=12476Come and join the Cave Warriors in our first entry into the Spartan Games!http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12482
http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12482#commentsSun, 05 Jul 2015 14:03:58 +0000Danahttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12482Come and join the Cave Warriors in our first entry into the Spartan Games! This is a 3 mile event held WITHIN AT&T Park, enabling competitors to compete across the whole of the stadium - from infield to bleachers, changing rooms to outfield. There are 20+ obstacles/exercises spread across the 3 miles - a bit like the Epic Bridge Run.

]]>http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=12482Happy Birthday Americahttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=10705
http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=10705#commentsSat, 04 Jul 2015 13:33:54 +0000Danahttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=10705Please remember The Cave is closed today and all classes are canceled. We hope you have a safe and happy July 4th celebration

]]>http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=12510WOD Recovery Yoga, Why you should do it!http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12507
http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12507#commentsWed, 01 Jul 2015 17:03:10 +0000Danahttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12507As athletes, we are constantly looking for new ways to both improve performance and prevent injuries. We have found unique techniques to keep the muscles loose — utilizing a lacrosse ball to massage out deep knots, or stretch with bands to distract the joint and increase mobility. While all of these tools are necessary parts of a CrossFitter’s daily training plan, simple stretching is often overlooked and certainly underutilized.

WOD Recovery Yoga was developed by our on-staff yoga teacher and avid CrossFitter, Stephanie Ring. Teaching athletes yoga is her passion. This love of teaching yoga combined with her first hand knowledge of CrossFit inspired her to create a specific type of class geared directly toward the post workout needs of these athletes. Her anatomical knowledge of CrossFit movements combined with her in depth knowledge of yoga postures and sequencing, provides the athlete with specific and targeted stretches and sequencing to help unwind, stretch and mobilize those places in the body that need it most.

]]>http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=12498Should I Use a Belt? When?http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12490
http://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12490#commentsFri, 05 Jun 2015 20:47:23 +0000Danahttp://www.inthecave.com/blog/?p=12490It’s rare to walk across the CrossFit floor and not see at least one athlete wearing a weightlifting belt. But why? Is it necessary? Should you wear one? Should you NOT wear one?
First, wearing a belt is a performance enhancer, but for some, a belt is necessary to perform certain movements without pain. Your core should be strong enough to support yourself through the main lifts, injuries aside. If you choose not to wear a belt, AND are not a competitor, then you are going to be perfectly fine without one. However, if you want to push your maximum amount of weights, then consider using a belt. Now, let’s learn how to use it the the right way.

To use a belt correctly, you should first learn how to breathe correctly by using the Valsalva Maneuver. As you are reading this take in a deep breath, but do not let your chest or shoulders rise at all. Breathe deeply and allow your belly to expand (I know, not the most attractive look). If you have trouble doing this, lie on the floor, place your hand on your abdominals, and practice making your hand rise.
Once you have this down, try to exhale but keep your throat closed to create pressure. Whether you choose to wear a belt or not, this is how you want to breathe while lifting. Now, put your belt on and try this technique. If you do it correctly, you should feel an incredible amount of pressure. This intra-abdominal pressure will help keep your back flat and arched. Your belt should be tight, but how tight is up to you. Personally, I like to have mine with some room, mainly because it’s a good visual to expand my midsection a greater degree. For some competitors, another person needs to help tighten up the belt for them before going into a big event to get it as tight as possible.

Now that I’ve reviewed how to use the belt correctly, let’s talk about when you should use it. For the big lifts, you should always wear a belt when you are going for a maximum attempt. Squats and deadlifts fall into this category, but you should never rely on wearing your belt. Unless you have an injury, warm-ups and building a set to the higher max should be achieved without the belt, but still practice breathing correctly . CrossFit is rooted in functional fitness…Do you grocery shop with your weight belt on? You should not wear a belt until you need it.

The point when you will need a belt depends on when you are going for a maximum lift. Again, on warm-ups go as long as possible without a belt to engage your core as long as possible. Once you feel your form would break down on a heavy set, then it’s time for a belt. If you are a competitor, always use a belt in competition.

An injury will also affect when you will put your belt on. Athletes with nagging back pain but solid form, especially with squats and deadlifts, could benefit from using a belt earlier in the rep scheme. If an athlete is able to lift pain-free with a belt, then by all means go for it.

If you are thinking about getting a weight belt, talk to athletes who wear them. Belts are like shoes — you need to find the right one for you. Try to get a high quality belt because it does make a huge difference. Take the time to learn how to breathe properly and push out on the belt to create intra-abdominal pressure. And, as always, if you need help, let me know.